


Begin Again

by RenegadeZer0



Category: One Piece
Genre: February 15th, brief fight with Magellan, multi-chaptered
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-03 09:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4095190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RenegadeZer0/pseuds/RenegadeZer0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"If I had the chance to save you, I'd do it again, and again, and again. I had that chance, so I took it."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: A Change to Things

"Luffy!!" Ace screamed, as he watched his little brother get launched backwards by a venom hydra.  
  
Ace turned to see the chief warden, Magellan, walking towards them, furious.  
  
Then everything goes silent. The scene is still playing out, Ace turns to give an order and someone jumps in the water to save him. Ace ignites his hand, teeth clenched in worry and anger. Ace launches himself at the warden, fire quickly enveloping the tiny dock they were all on.  
  
There's someone in the background, watching. Unidentifiable.  
  
If I had the chance to save you... I'd do it again, and again, and again until you were safe. I didn't get that chance. But Luffy did.  
  
...I should've been there. __  
  
The revolutionaries' mission in the East Blue was almost done, and even though they'd be keeping a small presence in the area to make sure the areas liberated didn't revert, Sabo felt unease about the timing of it all. Dragon had told him, "There’s no real right time to do anything. You do it as soon as you can, or you won't get to do it at all".  
  
Sabo had understood what he had meant, but the Marine, hell, even the Government's influence was still strong. It wasn't a big concern of his, but a concern nevertheless.  
  
He snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he was still on the deck of his ship. He ducked inside his cabin and sighed. It had been a long day, and the files sitting on his desk made it stretch. His eyes caught sight of two wanted posters, a smile starting to form.  
  
Straw Hat Luffy's first bounty, and his most recent. When he first saw them, Sabo had busted up laughing. It'd be just like Luffy to take on people like Arlong and Crocodile. But when he found out the Straw Hats infiltrated and wrecked Enies Lobby, announcing war with the World Government in the process, he had become slightly more concerned.  
  
But it was Luffy's life to live, so he tried to take everything in stride.  
  
The other wanted poster belonged to Fire Fist Ace. Sabo had known that Ace would become a great pirate, but the 2nd Division Commander of Whitebeard's crew title had surprised him. Ace was captain. Always. He wouldn't take orders, he gave them! But, Sabo was sure it'd be a great story to hear one day nevertheless.  
  
"One day, we'll see each other again. I promise," Sabo stated.  
  
Until then, there was work to do.  
  
There was a knock at his cabin door, "I just wanted to let you know, we're docking soon, sir!" A Revolutionary muttered through his door.  
  
Sabo sighed. He had begged Dragon to let him make the complete round of all the islands, instead of getting another ship to check the status of Goa Kingdom, due to a conflict of interest.  
  
"Dawn Island... I'm home!"


	2. The Beginning...

Dawn Island hadn't changed a bit from the time Sabo had left, he noted. The relaxing wave of peace you could feel fresh off the boat still lingered in the atmosphere of the island. 

Foosha's marketplace was bustling with people and noise, there was a pair of children playing tag, and a group of older women huddled together. Sabo hadn't been to the village himself when he was younger, but he knew it was mostly farmland, and Luffy and Dragon's home. It was an unknown island as well, which probably saved it from a large amount of pirate activity.

Sabo wanted to check out the forest near Gray Terminal. He wondered how Dadan and the others were doing, thinking back on the memories he had with Ace and Luffy. 

Sabo knew he couldn't go near that area, because the chance of being seen was too great.

Sabo spotted Makino's Bar and walked in. He sat down at the counter. Makino was polishing off a glass, smiling to herself when she noticed Sabo. "Oh, hi! What can I get you?"

"Water will be fine," Sabo said, throwing a friendly smile at her.

Makino nodded and walked towards the barrels in the back. She came back quickly and set Sabo's drink down. "You look like you belong in High Town. What brings you here?"

Sabo laughed awkwardly. "Not exactly. I'm just looking around a bit. Speaking of which, I promised my little brother a telescope a while back. Is there any place I could find one on this island?"

"You could look around the village. There should be a traveling merchant on the island right now! I hear he has all kinds of odds and ends, there's a good chance he has one," Makino said, radiating a feeling of infectious happiness that Sabo couldn't help but smile at.

Sabo got up and left after a quick 'thank you' and started asking around for the merchant.

"Oh, him? I saw him heading towards Gray Terminal," a villager told Sabo.

"Gray Terminal..." Sabo repeated to himself.

Sabo decided to go, despite the risk, seeing as no official would want to step foot in that place.

Gray Terminal wasn't much different now than it used to be, even after the fire. He found the merchant and bought a red telescope from him, although the merchant tried to get him to buy more first.

It was on his way out that he heard something that worried him. 

"Did ya hear?! That Strawhat kid is causing trouble on Sabaody Archipelago," Someone behind Sabo whispered.

"You mean Luffy? What's he done now?"

"I heard a Celestial Dragon was involved."

"Yeah, I heard Luffy got mad and punched him!"

Shock crossed Sabo's face. If that was true, Luffy and his crew were in serious danger! The Admirals were at the beck and call of the Celestial Dragons. If Luffy actually hit one, they would surely take action. And Luffy...

Just then a caw sounded from above. Sabo looked up to see a carrier pigeon drop a newspaper nearby. Sabo scrambled to the newspaper. "H-hey! That's mine! BACK OFF!!"

Sabo sat on top of a couple of unconscious thugs, biting his thumb while flipping through the pages. The headline was about the arrival of Admiral Kizaru on Sabaody, and the disappearance, and apparent defeat, of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Just as he was thinking about his next move, Sabo's Transponder Snail started ringing. "Hello?"

"It's Kuma. You told me to inform you of Luffy's welfare if I ever saw him again. I sent him to Amazon Lily, the home of Boa Hancock. I have to go."

The snail clanked and fell asleep.

Amazon Lily...   

Sabo knew he couldn't leave just yet, and had to trust Luffy could handle being on his own. Knowing him, he'd be a handful even for a warlord like Hancock.

Going back towards the village, Sabo knew for sure that nothing had changed on the island. Sabo hoped that, one day, all three of them would be able to return here together. Just for a little while.

And then... they could go out together and see the world, just like they had dreamed of when they were kids.

But that dream was still so far off, and in the meantime, there was work for all of them to get done.

Sabo had returned to the ship and found most of the soldiers had returned, only missing one pair of revolutionaries.

"Hey... there's two soldiers missing. Where are they?" Sabo asked.

"They're near the mountain bandit encampment, sir!" 

"...Probably got caught poking around," A solider sighed.

Sabo pinched the bridge of his nose, "They're not dangerous. Just contact them and get them back here before dark, there's a lot more things more dangerous in that forest than those bandits." Sabo started to walk off and then added, "I'm gonna need to see your reports as well at some point."

With that, Sabo entered his cabin, took his coat and hat off, and laid down. He stared at the ceiling for what seemed like minutes. It was weird to be home and not be able to enjoy it because everyone who knows you believes you to be dead.

In these moments, it was hard to be burdened with this knowledge. Incredibly hard.

Sabo closes his eyes and falls asleep shortly after.

_Sabo is at sea. The clouds are pitch-black, with their color spreading into a sky that looks like it's been set ablaze. Sabo looked around, eyes widening when he saw a huge pillar of flames, erupting into the sky. It took minutes until it finally disappeared. Just then, someone grabbed him by behind._

_Sabo spun around wildly, and took a step back as he saw has brother, "Ace?!"_

_Falling forward, Ace collapsed onto Sabo._

_Sabo looked down, eyes blown wide in shock as he saw the gaping hole in his brother's back._

_"ACE!!!"_

* * *

 

The days that followed were fraught with worry, not knowing whether or not to take the nightmare as a sign. Sabo could only look to the news and rumors about Ace's welfare.

Koala was on their ship's deck looking up at him with a puzzled look. She walked up to him. "You look worried. What's wrong?"

Sabo stared at the vast expanse of ocean ahead of them, "There's a storm on the horizon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting! As the story gets going I'll be able to fill in more and have longer chapters. Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Sabo's Precious Memories

It was that same dream again.

_A dream of a flame sitting on a candle's wick slowly being pushed down upon and suffocated by an invisible force. And then a boy would appear crying, "Why couldn't you save them?! Were you not strong enough, not fast enough?"_

_Every time he would watch the flame be extinguished with pain washing over his heart, and every time he would be yelled at by this blond-haired boy._

It was a dream where it felt important enough to never let go of it, but it just didn't mean anything. Not in that moment, at least.

It was always the same sequence: Shocked awake, regulate breathing, and walk outside. It, of course, worried Sabo that he was being yelled at by his younger self, but it never amounted to anything by sunrise.

Still, it had to mean something...

* * *

Cresent Isle was small, but with a sustainable agriculture thanks to its human population, even if it was small. It was frequently used as a resting point for all sorts of sailing types, but not much more. The Revolutionaries were there to replenish supplies and get any last minutes things in order before returning to Baltigo.

When afternoon rolled around, the latest news hit Sabo's ship.

* * *

"I'm going, and that's that."

"Wait!" Koala stepped in front of Sabo.

"You're not stopping me!"

"Think about what you're doing! Where you're going to go!"

Koala took the momentary pause in Sabo to pull out a map and pen. She laid it out on a table and motioned for Sabo to come over, "This..." she started circling the northern tip of the island on the map, "Is where we are. There's a Marine Warship here," she circled the southern part of the island. "According to reports, it's headed for Impel Down. We never concerned ourselves with it before, but I'm thinking it's a good way to get you there!"

"Okay, so, I get on and then what? I'm not made of rubber, so it's not like I can disguise myself as a barrel," Sabo tilted his head and frowned at Koala.

"Figure that part out on your own! Let's get going!" Koala sprinted out the door of Sabo's Quarters, grabbing Sabo by the hand.

The Southern Harbor was peaceful and quiet. Seagulls were populating the boardwalk, along with a couple fisherman sitting on the edge. The Marine Warship was sitting still on the water, quiet, but with an energy of intimidation surrounding it. Sabo and Koala were sitting on a plain before the boardwalk, trying to see what the patrol on the deck was like.

Koala complained, "It's full of Marines! Why can't these things be easy?!".

"I have an idea. We need one of them to come off the ship, then when they get close, we'll ambush them and take their clothes! I'll have to wear the stupid clothes, but it'll get me on board."

Koala turned to Sabo. "Leave it to me!".

Koala had convinced a nearby lady to scream about being robbed, and though at first it didn't seem to work, a Marine finally came off and was led by the lady towards Sabo's hiding spot. When the Marine got close enough, Sabo took his pipe and spun it sideways smacking the Marine in the jaw. He tumbled in the grass a few feet from the impact, and went still.

Sabo then came and dragged the body towards some bushes, where he quickly redressed in his new attire, keeping his usual clothes by his sides. He checked his pocket for his Transponder Snail, finding it safe and secure, and started walking towards the Warship. It wasn't seconds after he had stepped aboard before someone came over and asked about the robbery.

"Did ya find the thief?"

Sabo tried to adopt a deeper voice, "No, Sir! Figured the lady wanted attention."

"And what about that set of clothes you're carrying? Where did those come from?"

Sabo started sweating, hoping this guy wasn't about to confiscate his clothes, "Uhm... I found them. They didn't belong to anyone, and I even asked around so..." Sabo laughed nervously.

"I'm supposed to confiscate those, but... I'll turn a blind eye if you handle chore duty today!"

'Oh boy,' Sabo thought. "Sure thing, Sir! Thank you!" Sabo saluted.

The Marine laughed and walked away, "You're more than welcome!"

Sabo sighed and looked around the ship for the barracks, hoping to find his room so he could set his clothes down. He walked around, not wanting to send up any red flags by asking for directions. He found himself in cold, metal hallways more often than not. It had of making a person feel pretty unwelcome.

Several of minutes had to have passed by before Sabo found rooms with naval cots inside. Figuring this is the place, Sabo started searching for a key on his uniform or anything to indicate which room was his. No luck.

A voice from behind him, "Hey! You lost again?! Your room is on your right!"

"...Right. Sorry!" Sabo quickly relaxed and ducked in his room.

"How someone like you became a Marine, I'll never know. Anyways hurry up, time to start my—I mean, your chores!"

Sabo put his revolutionary outfit under the bed, and asked a question to the open air. "Impel Down, huh?"

The officer, standing outside answered, "Yea... We gotta replace a fleet for their 3-month shift. The place is impenatrable, but we have to make sure we're there by sunrise."

'Ace... I'll be there to save you!'

Sabo resolved to do everything that he could to rescue Ace and bring him home. To him. To Luffy. Home.

With that, he followed the officer back outside.

* * *

_They were all kids again. Sabo, Ace, and Luffy were all running together again. Laughter spilled out of the memory and made reverberations throughout the darkness surrounding the memory._

_Ace turned. "Hurry up, Sabo," He extended his arm._

_Sabo unconsciously reached, trying to hold on to the memory. He started talking, "I'm here, guys! Ace... you're in trouble, but I'll save you! I promise! I promise, because you guys saved me! You became my family that day. I have that chance, so I'm taking it!"_

People always say that there are no second chances, so we take what we get and do our best. The thing is, you often regret how you went about it, and wanna go back to do everything different. The people who do that never see the future because of their past regrets. And in their childhood, Sabo and his brothers made a promise to live without regrets.

The memory faded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally had this include part of Impel Down but decided to cut it out and put it towards chapter 4, so it'll be nice and organized. Also, we'll have a nice surprise next chapter too! So, see ya next time!


	4. chapter 4 coming soon (like really soon)

Adventures at Impel Down await! 10/10/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Lots of stuff going on for me - big move and yea. I've been incredibly flakey with my writing this month so sorry!  
> 2\. I will never ever forget my works so never worry  
> 3\. I have a one-shot in mind so thats either going in October's slot or November's.  
> 4\. Everything I write isn't done on a computer so it takes time   
> 5\. last of these update things


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